All I could see was green, I blinked and blinked again, yes it was definitely green. My hand stretched out to touch it and not two inches from my nose my fingers met with some stern resistance.

As awareness gradually seeped into my foggy brain I remembered I was in a gym hall not two inches away from a wall adorned with a bright green carpet like substance which might have been more at home on the floor of an outdoor barbeque area.

As the bigger picture came into focus I recalled I was in Oranienburg, Germany an East German Town about 20 - 30 miles north of Berlin and sleeping on a gym mat that had seen more than its fair share of forward rolls and cartwheels.

It was 6.00 am and my comfortable (in comparison to a bed of nails) slumber was sharply curtailed by the powerful overhead fluorescent lighting that some considerate World Harmony Runner had thought to illumine me with.

Having successfully made my way through the usual morning ablutions both outer and inner I wandered over to the breakfast table where some of the girls had prepared a quite delicious muesli dish along with a varied assortment of exotic cheeses that would compete with the finest American Restaurants of the day. If there is one thing these Euros know, it’s their cheeses.

After collecting my all goods and chattels and mustering the courage to enter the real world I stepped outside and inhaled the fresh East German morning air. Everything was sparkling under a dusting of morning dew and the pastel pinks and blues of the sky promised an exquisite day ahead.

One by one the gym hall coughed up all our team members and we began the intricate process of assembling our luggage into the cramped space behind the back seat of the boys van. Like a real life game of tetris, Dipavajan, the inimitable European Team Captain, skillfully arranged the luggage so everything fit in quite comfortably, however if one should inadvertently open the back of the van during the days proceedings one might find oneself buried beneath a proverbial mountain of personal belongings.

“Who wants to run first?” Dipavajan inquired excitedly. The question was answered by a deafening silence accompanied by a chorus of sideways glances as the various likely candidates scurried into the safety of the back seat.

Doyalu from Munich bravely stepped up to the plate and we resumed our 45 country, 20,000 km European Tour with Berlin scheduled to be the next stop.

Comfortably ensconced between wet towels, damps T-shirts, six runners (and as many languages), three torches, various personal accoutrements, the usual crumbs and other annoying granules which only serve to enhance the experience I fondly reminisced about the vast open spaces of the US World Harmony Run vehicles where you might only have one or maximum of two running partners.

Today we had only 56 km and our first stop was a Buddhist temple in a leafy suburb on the outskirts of Berlin.

The resident monk very graciously welcomed us and invited us to enjoy the silence of the meditation hall. He then followed up with a refreshing selection of herbal tea that we sipped basking in the sunlight streaming through the kitchen window. The entire grounds and premises were imbued with a profound spiritual silence. Reluctantly we departed and continued journey our way to downtown Berlin.

We carried the torch to what is arguably Berlin’s most famous monument, the Brandenburg Gate.

This impressive structure stands proudly at the centre of the city, and was constructed as a monument to peace and understanding. Ironically it became such an iconic symbol for first Nazi Germany and then the Soviet Union. Perhaps the spirit of the Gate now has even more significance given its recent history.

As you are facing the Brandenburg Gate just to the right (north) there is a small room within the Gate structure dedicated to peace. It is called the “Room of Silence” or “Raum der Stille” where anyone can go and sit in total silence. The room is dedicated to the spirit of peace and international understanding.

Amidst the almost overwhelming throng of international tourist we were met by Gabriela who serves on the board which manages the Room of Silence. She kindly explained the history of the Brandenburg Gate and then invited us into the room for a moment’s reflection. The silence contained in the room was palpable and powerful, a small oasis of peace amidst the hustle and bustle of the tourists outside. The room serves as a constant to reminder the millions of tourists that flood into the area each year that peace really is the only solution to the world problems.

Our next destination was the oldest mosque in Berlin where we greeted cordially and shown much appreciated hospitality. On the way we passed by the Berlin Sewa store and stopped to greet old friends who happened to be in Berlin as we were.

We finished our day at a very impressive Castle in Potsdam that belonged to a Prussian King.

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